Review: Dixon’s Flaming Caesar Vodka (80/100)
A review by Chip Dykstra (Aka Arctic Wolf)
Revisited May 23, 2019

Dixon’s Distilled Spirits is located in Guelph Ontario. This small distillery produces two brands of Vodka (Silvercreek and Flaming Caesar), two styles of Wicked Gin (a Licorice Botanical Blend and a Citrus Botanical Blend), as well as a ready to drink mix called Gin Fusion.

According to Dixon’s website

We heard the call for a better Caesar, and we answered! Made with Silvercreek Vodka infused with handpicked ingredients, it’s packed with flavour and heat. Just mix with your favourite brand of clam and tomato cocktail for a perfect Caesar.

Dixon’s Silver Creek Vodka is spiced with garlic, horseradish, dill, celery seed, scotch bonnets and red chili peppers. It is filtered clear and bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume.

Flaming Casar Vodka

In the Bottle 4/5

To the left is a bottle shot of Dixon’s Silver Creek Vodka. The bottle is medium tall with a stout cylindrical shape and a short neck which is just long enough to permit pouring without spilling. The front label is quite nice, and the back label in addition to the information provided above tells us that all we need for the signature serving is caesar mix and Dixon’s Flaming Casar Vodka.

The bottle is sealed with a wood topped synthetic cork which is wrapped in clear plastic.

In the Glass 9/10

With a name like Flaming Caesar Vodka I was expecting a rush of chili pepper spice burning up my nostrils when I opened the bottle for the first time and poured myself a glass. The spirit, although obviously spiced doesn’t carry the firepower I was expecting.

This was actually quite nice as it meant that the scents and smells of all the other ingredients, particularly the garlic and horseradish were given expression in the breezes above the glass. The effect was to add an nice earthy quality to the spirit which was quite inviting.

In the Mouth 48/100

When I took my first taste, it was with a friend of mine who is particularly keen on Caesar Cocktails. We were both quite exited as the Flaming Caesar Spirit, (although not flaming) seemed to hold great promise. We both loved the pungent earthiness of the spice blend in particular the balance between the horseradish, the garlic and the chili pepper.

So it was with some anticipation that we got together the following week (with a few more friends) and a jug of Motts Clamato (Caesar Mix). Now the Caesar is a classic Canadian cocktail first created in Calgary, Alberta by bartender and restaurant manager, Walter Chell, at the Owl’s Nest Bar at the Calgary Inn in 1969. It is pretty much a staple of every good restaurant and bar in Canada, so I knew that all of my friends would have strong opinions on the Caesar Cocktails I served with Dixon’s Flaming Caesar Vodka.

So I mixed everyone a Caesar by combining the Flaming Casar Vodka (1 1/2 oz.) of with the Mott’s Clamato (1 1/2 oz.) just like the back of the bottle said. And the overwhelming verdict from my gathered guests was disappointment.  All that wonderful pungent earthy spice within the Flaming Casar Vodka was diminished to barely a whisper in the cocktail. As far as spicy Caesars go, the one I had created were limp.

All was not lost, I made another batch and this time I added 2 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce and 2 dashes of Tabasco to each cocktail. Now we had a Caesar worth writing about.

In the Throat  11/15

The earthy pungent spices leave a nice aftertaste in the mouth after you swallow. It’s too bad that the combination is not strong enough to push through the Clamato Juice.

The Afterburn 8/10

It was hard to assign scores. When tasted on its own, the Flaming Casar Vodka is actually quite spectacular. And when mixed into a Caesar complimented with Worcestershire Sauce and Tabasco, the resulting Caesar cocktail is definitely exciting. But, unfortunately I was led to believe (based upon the website and the back label) that the Flaming Caesar Vodka was good to go on its own.

I settled on a positive score because, despite not being good enough on its own, it definitely makes a much better Caesar than Vodka alone. You just have to work at hings a little bit to find the right combination of extra spice to add. (See below for my suggested Caesar Recipes with a regular Vodka (Dixon’s Silver Creek Vodka), and the improved recipe with Dixon’s Flaming Caesar Vodka.

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Caesar Cocktails